Kurdu / कुर्डू / Silver Cock’s Comb / Celosia argentea L.

  • Local Name: Kurdu / कुर्डू
  • Common Name: Silver Cock’s Comb
  • Botanical Name: Celosia argentea L.

Status & Habitat

  • Habitat: Herb

  • Occurrence: Often in gardens

  • Season of Availability: Warmer parts of the year

  • Geography: India and Nepal

  • Method of Propagation: Seed and vegetative propagation

  • Part used for Propagation: Seeds and cuttings

Edible Parts

  • Edible Parts: Leaves

  • Can be Eaten Raw: Yes

Method of Consumption

  • Raw: Yes

  • Ripe: N/A

  • Both Raw & Ripe: N/A

  • Dangerous Form to Consume: N/A

  • As Food: Leaves, tender stems, and flowers may be cooked into sabjis; flowers can be made into tea

  • As Medicine: Flowers help treat bloody stools; seed decoction helps with dysentary; seeds help with removing "liver heat" and improving eyesight.

  • Cooking Without Prior Boiling: Not required

  • Boiling Before Cooking: Not required

  • Pickling: No

  • Brining: No

  • Fermenting: No

  • Drying for later Consumption: Yes, Flowers

  • Overall Method: Cook flowers, leaves or stems into curries; steep flowers into tea.

Nutritional & Medicinal Benefits

  • Nutritional Benefit: High water and energy content.

  • Medicinal Benefit: Digestive ailments, skin problems like eczema, ulcers.

Tribal Wisdom

  • Tribal Wisdom: Flowers help treat bloody stools; seed decoction helps with dysentary; seeds help with removing "liver heat" and improving eyesight.

Recipes / Usage

  • Tribal Recipe / Usage: Boil dried leaves in water, let steep and strain to get tea.